Thai capital under state of emergency as protesters dig in

January 21, 2014|Reuters

By Alan Raybould

BANGKOK, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Thailand's capital was under astate of emergency on Wednesday after the government moved totighten security as protesters trying to oust Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra threatened to disrupt an election she hascalled for early next month.

Bangkok was calm and early commuters travelled to work asnormal. There were no troops on the streets, as has been thecase throughout the crisis since November, and even the policepresence was light. No overnight curfew was enforced.

Announcing the 60-day emergency late on Tuesday, ministerssaid they had no plans to clear the camps that protesters haveset up at seven major road junctions in the city.

Rather, they said they wanted to prevent an escalation ofviolence after deaths and injuries caused by grenade attacks ondemonstrators over the weekend.

The protests are the latest episode in an eight-yearpolitical conflict that pits Bangkok's middle class and royalistestablishment against the mainly poorer supporters of Yingluckand her brother, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppledby the military in 2006.

The decree, which covers Bangkok and surrounding provinces,allows security agencies to impose curfews, detain suspectswithout charge, censor media, ban political gatherings of morethan five people and declare areas off-limits.

Yingluck has called an election for Feb. 2, which she willalmost certainly win and which the opposition plans to boycott.

The Election Commission said it would seek a ruling from theConstitutional Court on Wednesday on whether it can delay thevote. It is worried about violence on polling day and says theprotests have prevented some candidates from registering,meaning there will not be a quorum to open parliament.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has rejected the electionoutright. He accuses Thaksin of corruption and nepotism andwants to change the electoral system to eradicate the influenceof Thaksin, who lives in exile in Dubai to avoid a jail termhanded down in 2008 for abuse of power.

Nine people have died since November in the worst politicalviolence in Thailand since 2010.

Suthep, at that time a deputy prime minister, sent in troopsto end mass protests by pro-Thaksin supporters. More than 90people died in the 2010 unrest.

The crisis has hurt tourism and business confidence. As aresult, the central bank could cut interest rates when it meetson Wednesday to boost the economy.

Adding to Yingluck's problems, farmers, who are part of hercore constituency, have threatened to join the protest if theydo not get paid for the rice they have sold to the governmentunder a controversial intervention scheme.

Her government guaranteed them an above-market price fortheir rice but the scheme has run into funding difficulties.

The government has sold a bond and is seeking loans to tideit over, but the Election Commission, which has to approve suchaction by the caretaker government, has declined to give itssupport.